Braves prospect Pache doing extra work daily to increase power

Braves center-field prospect Cristian Pache during Sunday morning batting practice before spring-training game against the Nationals. (Video by David O’Brien)

Look at Cristian Pache’s wiry 6-foot-2 frame and .290 batting average. It’s hard to believe the elite Braves outfield prospect has a puny .358 slugging percentage and no home runs in 750 career plate appearances in the minor leagues.

Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer thought the same thing when he examined Pache’s statistics in parts of two seasons (176 games) of rookie ball and low Single-A. That’s why the coach is doing extra work early each morning this spring with Pache -- to help the 19-year-old Dominican tap into his natural power, the only tool obviously lacking in a teen whose sensational center field defense, arm strength and speed rank at the top of the scouting charts.

“We’re in a little bit of a -- I won’t say rebuild, but it’s a new build,” Seitzer said of the project, which he’ll continue until Pache is sent to minor league camp at some point in March. It’s work that Seitzer believes is already yielding results in the form of a shorter, quicker swing from Pache.

“He’s filled out, and what a good kid,” Seitzer said. “Every morning we’re working, I’ve got him in their before the other hitters so we can have one-on-one time. We spend about 20, 25 minutes every morning. Trying to shorten him up (in his swing). There’s no reason that a body like that and a tool set like that shouldn’t hit for more power than what he’s hit for.

“When he got here (to spring training) he was long (in his swing), he was sweepy, the hand speed wasn’t there. And man, I’m telling you, this kid is working and making great adjustments, and it’s coming. So I hope that (general manager) Alex (Anthopoulos) lets him stay here for a while so I can keep my hands on him every morning and just see where this ends up when he has to go back (to minor league camp).”

Pache only turned 19 in November and hasn’t played above low-A, but he’ll see time in major league spring training games and already had an RBI single in the Grapefruit League opener Friday against the Mets, his only plate appearance through the first two games.

The Braves won’t rush him to the majors, but it’s worth noting that their No. 1 prospect, outfielder Ronald Acuna, only turned 20 on Dec. 18 and is competing for the starting left field job. A year ago at this time, Acuna had not played above low-A Rome. He began the 2017 season at high-A Florida and finished it at Triple-A Gwinnett, after which Acuna was named Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year.

The Braves envision in the not-too-distant future an outfield of Acuna, Pache and two-time Gold Glove center fielder Ender Inciarte, a unit that would probably be the best defensive outfield in baseball and perhaps the best in some time. For now, only one of those players is proven at the big-league level.

“But man, this kid (Pache), put him and Acuna in the outfield some day? Wow, wow, wow,” Seitzer said. “And Ender (Inciarte)? Whew, how about that? You wouldn’t freaking be able to hit a ball in the air without it getting caught.”